List of The Venture Bros. episodes
The following is a list of episodes for The Venture Bros. along with descriptions for each episode. Pilot The Terrible Secret of Turtle Bay 0-01: Written by: Jackson Publick Dr. Venture goes to New York to show off his latest invention at a United Nations symposium. Meanwhile, his two sons decide to have an "adventure" in the Big Apple, while Brock goes off for some R&R. A ninja seems to have an altogether unhealthy interest in Dr. Venture's newest gadget... (Note: the pilot shows the characters in a rather different light, and is currently not scheduled as part of the show's run.) Season 1 Dia de los Dangerous 1-01: Written by: Jackson Publick The Venture family travels to Tijuana for a lecture given by Dr. Venture (who also meets up with a Dr. Guevara) at the University of Mexico. The Monarch also travels to Mexico to find his long lost adoptive parents (Monarch butterflies). When the Monarch discovers the Ventures in Mexico, he wreaks havoc on them that leaves the brothers trapped in the Monarch's clutches, Dr. Venture without his kidneys and Brock...dead? Careers in Science 1-02: written by: Doc Hammer The two-person crew of 'Gargantua-1', a space station built by Jonas Venture years ago, calls Team Venture when a red "problem" light activates. The station's commander, Bud Manstrong, tells Hank and Dean a space-age ghost story: a crewmember went insane and gathered most of the station's other residents in the cargo bay to watch the Burt Reynolds movie Sharky's Machine, then opened the airlock and killed himself and them. The boys instantly seize on the notion that his ghost, who they call "Phantom Space Man", is haunting them. Manstrong introduces the only other occupant of the station, the shapely Lieutenant Anna Baldavich; her face is never shown but, judging by the Ventures' reactions, is hideous. Dr. Venture mistakenly assumes that his space suit has a waste collection pouch and soaks himself in urine. Frustrated and apathetic, he begins randomly pressing switches in an attempt to deactivate the problem light. He unknowingly opens the cargo bay doors, briefly sending H.E.L.P.eR. and Brock into empty space unprotected, then knocks himself unconscious by toggling the gravity generator. The boys, finding him, assume that Phantom Space Man tried to kill Brock and murdered their father. Baldavich, who is frustrated by Manstrong's fear of commitment and lack of advances after six years together on the station, comes on to Brock, who happily engages her in wild sex (after asking her to leave her helmet on). H.E.L.P.eR., who was momentarily entangled with a communications satellite, is hurled through the hull of the space station into a storeroom. Hank and Dean, seeking Brock's protection, see him cavorting with the helmeted Baldavich but initially assume that he is wrestling with Phantom Space Man. The boys break down in tears over their father's "death" until H.E.L.P.eR. wanders by, covered in sheets and debris; they mistake the robot for the Phantom and beat him viciously before throwing him out of an airlock. Meanwhile, Dr. Venture has a hallucination of his father, who says that Gargantua-1 is perfect and that "Rusty" must have broken it somehow. Venture wakes and asks Brock to fix the hull breach (caused by H.E.L.P.eR.); Manstrong, unhinged by Baldavich's "infidelity", volunteers to help. While Brock repairs the hull, Manstrong urges him to "do the right thing" ("She'll make a fine wife. Her father invented that Mr. Mouth game. She's an heiress!"), laying a hand on Brock's shoulder. Brock snaps and pummels Manstrong viciously. Dr. Venture notices a stain on one of the panels and opens it to find one of his boyhood toy cowboys melted into the circuitry. He removes it and the problem light goes out; triumphant, he finally changes into a fresh space suit the boys bring him. As they blast off for home, Baldavich demands that Manstrong apologize before she uses a mechanical arm to retrieve him from space. Dr. Venture's soiled space suit drips urine onto the control panel, and the problem light turns on again. Home Insecurity 1-03: Written by: Jackson Publick As Brock leaves for his sabbatical in the woods, Dr. Venture invents a robot named G.U.A.R.D.O. and builds a panic room that will protect the family in Brock's absence. The robot is completed, but Venture falls asleep before loading the "friendly" file software. When teams of henchmen from both the Monarch and Baron Ünderbheit attack simultaneously, the Ventures are trapped in the panic room and G.U.A.R.D.O. can not distinguish them from the villains. While the Monarch's henchmen bicker with Ünderbheit's henchmen over who gets dibs on Venture's defeat (which later turns into a conversation, then vandalism of the Venture Compound), Monarch and Ünderbheit try to come to an agreement. Meanwhile, Brock befriends a bionic man and Sasquatch. H.E.L.P.eR. runs away in a fit of jealousy upon discovering Dr. Venture's plans for the G.U.A.R.D.O. robot. The Incredible Mr. Brisby 1-04: Written by: Jackson Publick Theme-park mogul Roy Brisby attempts to enlist Dr. Venture's help in cloning a new body; Brisby is wheelchair-bound after suffering a stroke during a ride that went awry. Venture refuses, and is bagged by Brisby's "longtime com-panda", Li-Li ("won from David Bowie in a trivia contest"), while Brock falls prey to a drugged cigarette. The boys, meanwhile, are kidnapped and brainswashed by the Orange County Liberation Front, who wishes to destroy Brisby's empire and reclaim the county's small-town charm. Brock wakes up to find himself under the care of his old flame Molotov Cocktease, and after a brief and... exciting... reunion, the two head to Brisbyland. Inside the giant "beehive" in the center of the theme park, Brisby drugs Venture to force him to reveal his knowledge of cloning; due to his steady consumption of diet pills, however, Venture only emits a stream of nonsense. The OCLF attacks the beehive at the same time that Brock and Molotov arrive. Venture and the boys are saved by Brock amidst the chaos, and Brisby, who is attempting to escape with Li-Li, finds Cocktease blocking his escape. Cocktease reveals that she was hired by Bowie to return the panda. Eeny, Meeny, Miney... Magic! 1-05: Written by: Doc Hammer Dr. Venture's latest invention has the family interested, not to mention trapped! Their new neighbor, the strange Dr. Orpheus, may be the only one who can help them escape. Meanwhile, Dean falls for Orpheus's daughter while Brock falls for his old flame, Molotov Cocktease. Ghosts of the Sargasso 1-06: Written by: Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick Doctor Venture, short on money, searches for a flying saucer lost underwater in the Bermuda Triangle; his father had created the craft, but didn't patent it because a test pilot (Major Tom) died during a preliminary flight. The opening shot of the show quotes David Bowie's songs "Space Oddity" and "Ashes to Ashes" nearly verbatim. Dr. Venture's disrespect for the dead raises Major Tom from the dead to haunt the Venture's ship, the X-2, which has already been beset by pirates. Ice Station Impossible 1-07: Written by: Jackson Publick Doctor Venture, Mr. White, and Master Billy are employed in a "think tank" run by Professor Impossible. The Professor also heads Impossible Industries, a research facility often used by the government to solve "impossible" problems. Meanwhile, government agent Race Bannon tries to steal an illegal serum from a terrorist group while on an airplane; the serum accidentally gets knocked out of his hands, out of the plane, and onto Hank Venture on the ground below. The serum, known as the Goliath Serum, was made by Richard Impossible during the Vietnam War; it leaves Hank with less than a day before he becomes a human bomb. It is up to the new "think tank" at Impossible Industries to help save him. This episode specifically parodies the Fantastic Four, as the powers developed by Prof. Impossible, his wife, her waste-head brother, and her "retard cousin" mirror (in a darkly satirical way) the powers of the Fantastic Four. The Professor can stretch his body, his wife has the power to turn her skin invisible, her brother bursts into flames whenever exposed to oxygen, and her cousin has become "a human callus." After Venture cheats to pass a urinalysis test with the help of Sally Impossible, who shows romantic interest in him, the Professor strands Venture in the Antarctic wastes. Brock and the boys find Venture while on the way to seek Impossible Industries' antidote to the Goliath serum. Mid-life Chrysalis 1-08: Written by: Jackson Publick & Doc Hammer The Monarch sends Dr. Girlfriend undercover in order to seduce Dr. Venture and inject him with a serum that turns him into a caterpillar¹. Meanwhile, Brock becomes depressed over the expiration of his license to kill, but the brothers help him cram for his government exam. Dr. Venture would later ask H.E.L.P.eR. to kill him, giving a reference to the movie The Fly. Despite using very unorthodox methods during the exam, Brock has his license renewed. Dr. Girlfriend finds that she regrets what she has done to Venture and injects him with an antidote. ¹: (Dr. Venture's transformation into a caterpillar is similar to that of Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis", in which the main character, Gregor Samsa, wakes up to discover he's turned into a cockroach. This is also implied by Dr. Venture's claim that "what you are about to see is a nightmare inexplicably torn from the pages of Kafka!") Are You There God, It's Me, Dean 1-09: Written by: Doc Hammer As the Monarch tortures the Venture family above the Amazon River, Dean Venture suddenly comes down with a slight case of acute testicular torsion. According to an addendum to Article 47 of the Unusual Torture Act (a.k.a. "Rusty's Law") created by the Guild of Calamitous Intent in 1969, the Monarch has to let them go for two days or until Dean is fully cured. The Monarch keeps Brock Samson and Hank Venture as collateral until then. Master Billy and Mr. White are hired to heal Dean. Meanwhile, Brock helps the Monarch celebrate his birthday by overtaking his Lair. Tag-Sale – You're it! 1-10: Written by: Doc Hammer Once again short on money, Dr. Venture holds a yard sale. Brock musters a team of agents to maintain security, concerned that Venture may be selling dangerous items to villains. Among the attendees are the Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend (with two henchmen), Baron Ünderbheit (who must reluctantly remove his steel jaw to pass through the metal detector), Master Billy and Mr. White, and the Phantom Limb. Hank opens a lemonade and grinder stand with grandiose plans. Dr. Orpheus offers to assist with the sale and admits his jealousy over Venture's array of archenemies. Master Billy and Mr. White attempt to convince Dr. Girlfriend to be their nemesis, followed by Phantom Limb offering to "number two" for her while she establishes herself as a supervillain; Girlfriend politely declines them, professing loyalty to Monarch, "who's been arching on Dr. Venture lately." A grinders plays havoc on the Monarch's digestive system while one of the henchmen becomes enamored with a lightsaber for sale. The Monarch tricks Ünderbheit into starting a free-for-all fight and uses the distraction to sneak into the Venture compound in search a bathroom. After relieving himself, the Monarch expresses frustration and discontent: he is in the bedroom of his sworn enemy but feels unmotivated to do anything sinister. Dr. Girlfriend suggests that they could find the lab and "maybe break something." Unaware of the infiltration, Dr. Venture and his sons head indoors to escape the fight. Inside the lab, the Monarch is dismayed to find the shoddy, unimpressive state of Venture's equipment. "What could I do to this guy that life hasn't already done to him?" he moans. Dr. Girlfriend seems on the verge of breaking up with the Monarch when Brock's agents, alerted by Venture, burst in. His purpose and anger suddenly restored, the Monarch immobilizes them with tranquilizer darts and delivers a fiery, rambling speech swearing vengeance on Venture before grabbing Dr. Girlfriend and sweeping upwards via an escape cable. Hours later, as Venture, Brock and the agents clean up the debris from the tag sale debacle, the Monarch is shown still dangling from the cable, muttering to Girlfriend "Okay, they're finishing up, let's go home." Past Tense 1-11: Written by: Jackson Publick Venture attends a funeral for a former college associate named Mike Sorayama. Hank and Dean are surprised to learn that Dr. Venture and Brock were college roommates, as were Mr. White and Baron Ünderbheit (who was a spoiled exchange student at the time). As Venture tells them, Brock dropped out of college to join the Army; he had lost his football scholarship after (accidentally) killing a football teammate during practice. While serving as Sorayama's pallbearers, Dr. Venture, Brock Samson, Baron Ünderbheit and Mr. White are gassed and abducted by the automatons. The Venture brothers ask the surviving members of the original Team Venture to help them find their father and bodyguard. Strangely enough, the kidnapper appears to be Mike Sorayama, who then proceeds to berate each of the four over humiliating events that happened during college (Ünderbheit for tricking him into smoking oregano which he is allergic to, White for embarrassing him on radio, and Venture for mocking him in a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Sorayama also believed Venture slept with Leslie but then learned it was Brock, who was captured for beating Sorayama and others up in rage). The original Team Venture find the lair and defeat Sorayama's "Lesliebots", androids that look like Leslie Cohen, a girl that Sorayama has obsessed over. When Brock escapes from the chamber, he mistakenly beats up Team Venture, who are disguised as Lesliebots. A final confrontation reveals that the kidnapper is actually a robotic version of Mike Sorayama; the real Sorayama's remains occupy the futuristic coffin that abducted the four. Assuming that Sorayama hated them so much that he programmed his robots to hate them, Venture departs with Hank, Dean and Brock, forgetting to free White and Ünderbheit. ²: (Mike Sorayama looks and sounds quite like Mike Yanagita from the movie Fargo - and, in fact, is voiced by the same actor, Steve Park.) The Trial of the Monarch 1-12: Written by: Doc Hammer One of the Monarch's henchmen writes a biography of the Monarch, titled "The Flight of the Monarch". The Monarch discovers the book, kills the author, and starts an argument with Dr. Girlfriend about her photos in the book with other men (Monstroso, Jim Foetus, and the Phantom Limb). In a state of furor, he calls her a whore and throws her out of his cocoon lair and his life. She winds up at The Phantom Limb's house after walking around in the rain. When the Monarch comes searching for Dr. Girlfriend, The Phantom Limb frames the Monarch for a crime he did not commit and calls the police (who are in the Guild's pocket). During the trial, mind-reading Dr. Orpheus finds out that the Monarch is innocent. But before Orpheus reveals the truth, the Phantom Limb orders members of the Guild to freeze everyone in the courtroom and put a "level three memory wipe" on them. The real plan of the Phantom Limb and the Guild is revealed when Guild operatives capture the prosecutor, Tiny Attorney (who is a parody of Total Recall's mutant leader Kuato). Once everyone is unfrozen and Dr. Orpheus mentally swayed, he declares the Monarch guilty. Orpheus's words ring so loudly that the court finds the Monarch guilty, too. Return to Spider-Skull Island 1-13: Written by: Jackson Publick & Doc Hammer Dr. Venture's recurring womb nightmares turn out to be something far more sinister--he has a twin brother who was engulfed by him when both were fetuses, and, having been taken out during surgery, wants vengeance! Jonas Jr. outfits himself in a robot body, knocks Brock out and ties him to his car, leaving him free to hunt down Dr. Venture. Meanwhile, Hank and Dean run off over their mistaken belief that their father is pregnant and are taken into the Monarch's 'scared straight' program for wannabe super-villains. Dr. Orpheus tails them, attempting to keep them out of trouble. The Monarch talks the boys into going back to their old life. Brock, meanwhile, has H.E.L.P.eR. drive the car over to Dr. Venture, who finally seems to be getting his from Jonas Jr. (who claims the Venture empire is rightfully his). The car smashes into Jonas Jr. and knocks him out of his body, revealing he has the body of an infant. Dr. Venture keeps Brock from killing his twin and the two basically agree to negotiate a truce. Dr. Orpheus conveniently comes by at that point, telling of what happened to the boys. Soon all seems well, as Brock, Jonas Jr., Dr. Orpheus, and Dr. Venture trail behind the boys in their hoverbikes. The Monarch's two henchmen meanwhile come by and ask if they can find both a hair parlor and ammo for a gun, but the fat henchman, showing off the gun, accidentally shoots Hank and Dean and kills them³. Dr.Venture sees the carnage and says "All right... get their clothes." This is the series' first season finale. ³: (This is a spoof of the shocking ending of the movie Easy Rider wherein the two young protagonists are shot off their choppers by two rednecks in a pickup truck.) Specials A Very Venture Christmas Written by: Jackson Publick A Christmas Special in which Dr. Venture throws a party for many of his friends (mostly all of the characters from previous episodes, such as the Original Team Venture, Steve Summers and Sasquatch, etc.), but the party goes awry when Dean and Hank accidentally release Krampus from Dr. Orpheus's spell book. Chaos and abuse (mostly toward Dr. Venture) ensue. Meanwhile, the Monarch has hatched yet another plan to kill Dr. Venture, this time involving a nativity scene booby-trapped with C4 explosive. The trap is actually sprung and the Monarch is seemingly successful in not only killing Dr. Venture but all of his allies including his sons, Brock, Dr. Orpheus and Triana. The events in this episode take place after "Ice Station Impossible" but before "The Trial of the Monarch", and is largely a dream sequence that takes place after the X1 crashes in Bethlehem and Dr. Venture is rendered unconscious. See Also The Venture Bros. Venture Bros., The Venture Bros., The